The parables that Jesus spoke were for the purpose of veiling His Words so that an unbelieving people wouldn’t be given truth that would do them no good. Mark 4:10-12 illustrates this: And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you…
Posts Tagged: god
1 Samuel 28:15 – Life Beyond Life?
During the reign of Saul, there was little he did that pleased the Lord. One such act that could have been a positive for him in God’s eyes, but turned out poorly, revolved around witchcraft. Multiple times Saul disobeyed the command of Yahweh. The prophet in 1 Samuel 15:23 laid this out specifically for Saul:…
1 Samuel 8:7 – Rejecting God
The mindset of the people in the Ancient Near East (ANE) was quite different from ours today. This is a major reason that when we read the Bible, we need to do so with the mind of someone in ancient Israel. If we don’t do that; if we read and judge from our modern perspective,…
Luke 12:46 – Cut to Pieces
When I read Luke 12:35-48, sub-headed in the ESV as You Must Be Ready, the passage inevitably disturbs me. Jesus was speaking to His disciples and relating a parable that reflected directly upon His return from heaven. The parable deals with the master who has gone away for his wedding feast and the servants who…
Deuteronomy 28:15 – All These Curses
Let’s do a thought experiment. Suppose at the founding of America, God spoke to the men who led us so capably, who devised our Constitution, and who created our Republic. Imagine that these men heard directly from God, who laid out some basic principles for our nation to follow. Picture God saying to our founders…
Deuteronomy 18:20 – The Prophet Who Presumes
Recent years have seen the rise of a whole class of so-called prophets and apostles. Their lineage comes from what has previously been known as Dominionism or Kingdom Now theology. These New Apostoloic Reformation (NAR) adherents are generally considered to be part of the hyper-charismatic movement. They believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit,…